More Than 3.2 Million Units of Over-the-Counter Eye Care Products Have Been Recalled by a Major Brand

Your eye is probably one of the last places you’d want to put a contaminated medication, and sufferers of a condition that affects an estimated 20 million Americans may benefit from a heads-up on a recall that’s broken this week.

The major pharmaceutical company Allergan, owned by AbbVie, has issued a recall of two eye ointments under the Refresh brand that are targeted to treat dry eye. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has published reports that Refresh P.M. and Refresh Lacri-Lube, which are both indicated for bedtime use, were recalled for what the FDA calls “Lack of Assurance of Sterility: The impacted lots may contain a breach in the tube seal.”

The FDA reports both products were distributed throughout the USA and to Australia, Canada and Great Britain.

The lot numbers (left) and expiration dates (right, denoted Exp.) on the recalled Refresh products are as follows:

Refresh P.M., 0.12-ounce tubes (2,473,563 total units, with UPC code 300230667043):

Lot: 387392, 387393, 387394, Exp. Feb 2025

387395, 388729, 388730, 388731, 388732, 390391, 390404, Exp. Apr 2025

391688, 391734, Exp. Oct 2025

392616, 392620, Exp. Dec 2025

392987, 393560, Exp. Jan 2026

394816, 394821, Exp. Nov 2025

394927, 394929, Exp. Feb 2026

395713, 395992, 396815, Exp. Mar 2026

396816, 397248, 397315, Exp. Apr 2026

397316, 397774, 397775, 397776, 398436, 398437, Exp. May 2026

398621, 398643, 398739, 398944, 399001, 399255, 399270, 399271, Exp. Jun 2026

399798, 399806, 400003, Exp. Jul 2026

408668, 408723, 408737, 408853, 408895, Exp. Apr 2027

409121, 409142, Exp. May 2027

409261, Exp. Apr 2027

T4534, T4535, T4591, T4592, Exp. Dec 2024

T4660, T4661, T4696, T4697, T4709, T4772, T4773, Exp. Jan 2025

T4844, T4845, Exp. Feb 2025

Lacri-Lube, 0.12-ounce tubes (763,426 total units, with UPC code 300230312042):

387489, Exp. Oct 2024

387490, Exp. Jun 2025

390422, Exp. Nov 2024

390424, Exp. Oct 2024

391692, Exp. Jun 2025

391893, Exp. Nov 2025

394822, Exp. Feb 2026

395991, Exp. Mar 2026

397905, 397973, 397974, Exp. May 2026

399019, 399254, Exp. Jun 2026

399922, Exp. Jul 26

408738, Exp. Mar 2027

T3911, Exp. Sep 2024

T4015, T4031, T4032, T4033, T4108, Exp. Oct 2024

On September 23, the FDA categorized this a Class II recall, meaning exposure “may cause temporary or medically reversible adverse health effects.”

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